BMW Proclaims The Neue Klasse Battery Could Walk 500 Miles

BMW will implement a number of revisions to its latest battery technology, which will show up in the Neue Klasse–based EVs like the next-generation i3 sedan and iX3 crossover. The so-called BMW Gen6 battery – which as its name suggests is the company’s sixth iteration of EV technology – will feature a 30 percent longer range than the existing unit found in cars like the BMW i5 and iX, as well as 30 percent faster DC fast charge times. During a visit to the battery workshop in Landshut, Germany, BMWBlog discovered how the Bavarian automaker would carry out such lofty targets.

Battery-Centric Vehicle Structure

The Gen6 battery found in the Neue Klasse EVs will be more power-dense, thanks to a switch to cylindrical cells that replace prismatic ones in the current lineup. BMW will offer its minute, 1.8-inch-diameter cells in two different heights (3.7 inches or 4.7 inches), depending on the vehicle application. The cells will no longer be organized into individual modules and will instead go directly to the battery pack itself, a move that will reduce weight and size while improving efficiency and increasing interior room.

The battery will also be an integral part of the Neue Klasse’s structure. While existing BMW EVs carry their batteries within a separate housing before being installed in a special location in the body-in-white, their replacements will use “pack-to-open-body” construction, with the car built with a space in the floor for the energy source. The battery’s tough exoskeleton, therefore, will serve as a stressed structural member, which reduces parts complexity and weight and increases the frame’s rigidity and stiffness. BMW even said the setup will provide better protection in collisions, and since the battery will yield a completely flat underbody, future EVs will be more aerodynamic as well.

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Shocking Electrical Advancements

The revised battery structure will also run on 800-volt system – replacing 400 volts – that will enable faster DC recharging. BMW wasn’t ready to claim official numbers yet but did admit it would have 30-percent faster charging compared to the Gen5 battery, which currently can handle 205 kilowatts of juice in the 2025 BMW i4. That means 267-kW DC fast charging is on the way, not a wholly impressive number in a world where Lucid is targeting 400 kW for the Gravity SUV, but still an improvement over current BMWs. For its part, the company says the new electrical system will add 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range in 10 minutes, which is double the current claim for cars like the i7 and i4.

And speaking of range, the new battery layout, more efficient electrical system, simplified construction, and lighter weight will all contribute to a 30 percent improvement between charges. That means that using the optimistic WLTP scale, the longest-legged BMWs could go 550 miles per charge, though that number will probably fall to around 400 miles in EPA testing. Nevertheless, the added range will help the Neue Klasse EVs compete in a world where even the inexpensive Hyundai Ioniq 6 can go 342 miles on a charge.

Source: BMWBlog